Manchester United In New Coutinho Link

Coutinho ‘Wants Manchester United Transfer’

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has spoken to Manchester United players about a move to Old Trafford. That’s if one newspaper is to be believed today.

The Sunday Mirror claims Coutinho has been in touch with members of the United squad over a move back to the Premier League just 14 months after he left Liverpool for the Nou Camp in a deal worth £142million.

Coutinho has fallen down the pecking order at the Nou Camp with Ousmane Dembele and and even the veteran Chilean Arturo Vidal often preferred instead. He has made 25 appearances in La Liga so far this season although nine of those were off the bench.

Exactly who Coutinho has spoken to at United isn’t mentioned in the Mirror article. However, there aren’t too many candidates that leap out. Midfielder Fred has been in the same Brazil squad as the former Liverpool man – possibly Andreas Pereira. But the idea of Coutinho phoning either of them to issue a ‘come and get me’ plea sounds fanciful.

But there is no doubt that Coutinho’s move isn’t working out as he hoped.

Barcelona will be looking for at least £100million for the 26-year-old who is also wanted by Paris Saint-Germain.

United Face Competition For Felix

Manchester United are interested in Benfica midfielder Joao Felix and they have sent scouts to watch him on a number of occasions this season.

But reports from Italy claim Juventus are also keen. FootballItalia claims super agent Jorge Mendes was at Juve’s 4-1 victory over Udinese on Friday night. As neither of his clients Ronaldo or Cancelo were involved in the game the report has put two and two together and decided that Mendes was there to talk about a move for Felix. The 19-year-old is not one of his clients.

United scouts were in Croatia on Thursday to watch Felix in action in Benfica’s 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League. Manchester City, Juventus, Wolves, Bayern Munich and Barcelona also had representatives at the game.

Manchester United are also monitoring AC Milan’s Italian right-back Davide Calabria. The Red Devils are looking to replace Antonio Valencia who is expected to leave the club when his contract expires in the summer.

United scouts have been to watch Sochaux’s 17-year-old French midfielder Lucien Agoume.